Author Kathryn Curzon

Kathryn has lived in the UK, Egypt, South Africa and New Zealand and is a trained scuba diving instructor and Great White shark safari guide. She is the author of No Damage (December 2014), the Managing Editor of The Scuba News New Zealand, a freelance writer, public speaker and co-founder of the marine conservation cause Friends for Sharks (August 2014). In 2015 she organised and completed a 10-month global speaking tour in aid of shark conservation: 87 events, 8 countries, 7000 people.
Learn more about Kathryn’s book, No Damage at:
http://www.kathrynhodgsonauthor.com/books/no-damage/

Richelieu Rock, a dive site that is part of the Mu Koh Surin marine park in Thailand, has been destroyed. The site was recently captured on film, which showed the area covered in dead fish and with cracked areas of coral. The reef was known as one of the best diving sites in the world.

The Samoa and Tonga Sevens teams have been raising awareness for shark conservation with the Hong Kong Shark Foundation (HKSF), Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) and Tuen Mun Sharks Mini rugby club. They joined forces to share the plight of sharks during the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in April 2017.

Open University have launched a new Marine Litter MOOC, or Massive Open Online Course. Starting in May 2017, this course seeks to encourage people to take action to address the global problem of marine litter.

Blue Marble Private are offering diving expeditions to the Titanic wreck site in May 2018. For $105,129 per person, tourists can explore this world-famous wreck off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada during an eight-day expedition.

New Zealander Freeman White has created a stunning shark mural as a tribute to the late Rob Stewart. The mural was created as part of the Seawalls: Artists for Oceans festival in Napier during 20th – 25th March 2017 and is one of twenty large-scale murals around the city.

Vancouver Park Board has voted on 9th March 2017 to ban the importation and display of live cetaceans at Vancouver Aquarium. The vote came after two nights of debate and thousands of public submissions concerning the welfare of captive cetaceans. The ban will come into effect by amending a Parks Control bylaw in 2017.

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Luhat Binsar Pandjaitan, has announced up to one billion dollars will be pledged to reduce Indonesia’s plastic waste by seventy per cent over the next eight years. The announcement was made at the 2017 World Oceans Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali. Luhat confirmed that Indonesia will be focussing on plastic alternatives and education initiatives to achieve their goal. Their plan is part of the global UN Clean Seas campaign to reduce major marine waste sources by 2022.

Wellingtonian Dave Mullins has set the New Zealand freediving record at the Cressi New Zealand Depth Nationals, Lake Taupo, on 18th March 2017. Diving to a depth of 105m, using a single mono-fin, he has beat the previous record of 93m set by Austrian Herbert Nitsch.

The family of Rob Stewart, a Canadian filmmaker and shark conservationist, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on 28th March 2017 at Broward County, Florida. The lawsuit has been filed following the death of Rob Stewart during a dive off the Florida Keys in January 2017 and seeks unspecified damages.

The South Island of New Zealand is known for its diverse and spectacular landscapes including remote national parks, golden beaches, World Heritage status rainforests, glaciers, and Mount Cook. Made famous by The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, it is a popular holiday destination for those seeking outdoor adventures and adrenaline highs.